This included how emerging thinking in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) can support not only physical security, but also student well-being, connection, and belonging.
This evolving work is being advanced by CPTED practitioners and school-safety experts nationally and internationally. Cuningham’s John Pfluger contributes to that dialogue through his service on CPTED Association’s International Schools Committee. Together, EAPC and Cuningham bring complementary expertise in CPTED, school planning, community engagement, and trauma-informed and well-being-focused design.
The conversation explored how the built environment can influence stress, emotional regulation, social interaction, personal agency, and a sense of belonging. This broader approach considers how schools can provide protection while also creating welcoming, understandable, and supportive environments where students and staff feel both safe and connected.
Key considerations include:
• Empowerment, choice, and personal control
• Security, privacy, and personal space
• Connection and sense of community
• Dignity, identity, beauty, and meaning
• Stress reduction and emotional regulation
• Clear, intuitive, and welcoming environments
Strategies such as natural surveillance, daylight, clear wayfinding, appropriately scaled gathering spaces, access to privacy and retreat, and culturally responsive design can reinforce both safety and well-being. The goal is not simply a more secure building, but a school environment that supports the people within it every day.
Interested in continuing the conversation about the future of school safety? Reach out to EAPC and Cuningham to learn more.